Jan 4: GRIMM'S FAIRY TALES

A Flounder Fish Story

A fisherman, so the story goes, once caught a flounder that spoke,begging to be released. This was granted, whereupon the fisherman'swife demanded that it grant her one miracle after another,until even the flounder was disgusted.

Jan 6: Virgil's AENEID

Warned by Hector's Ghost

In the dead of night Hector's ghost appeared to warn Aeneasof the impending doom to come upon the walled city of Troy.Aeneas lifted his aged father on his back and, taking his son bythe hand, sought safety in flight. Off to Latium!

Jan 8: THE BOOK OF JOB

Trying the Patience of Job

God was pleased with the piety of Job, but Satan accredited thepiety to Job's prosperity and happiness. So a trial was made.See how each succeeding affliction visited on Job shook thedepths of his nature, and how he survived.

Jan 10: Euripides' THE BACCHAE

Where Love Lies Waiting

King Pantheus of Thebes contended against Dionysus, the God,for the adoration of the Theban women. The god was winningby bewitching the women when the king interceded. Euripidestells the story in a masterpiece of Greek drama.

Jan 11: THE FEDERALIST

Hamilton—Father of Wall Street

Hamilton organized the Treasury Department. He pennedmost of the Federalist papers, which were greatly influentialin bringing New York into the Union—the first step toward itseminent position in national and world finance.

Jan 12: Burke ON TASTE

What Is Good Taste?

A Turkish sultan, relates Burke, when shown a picture of thebeheaded John the Baptist, praised many things, but pointedout one gruesome defect. Did this observation show the sultanto be an inferior judge of art?

Jan 13: Rousseau's INQUIRY ON INEQUALITY

Rousseau Seeks Sanctuary in England

Rousseau taught that men were not created free and equal.To substantiate his daring beliefs he traced man's history backto his primitive beginnings. For his teachings, Rousseau wasforced to seek refuge in England.

Jan 17: FRANKLIN'S AUTOBIOGRAPHY

Franklin's Family Tree

Good middle-class people, Franklin boasts, were his ancestors.Some have attributed his genius to his being the youngest sonof the youngest son for five generations. In his famous autobiography,he reveals quaint family history.

Jan 18: Aristophanes' THE FROGS

Origin of Yale "Brekekekex-Ko-ax"

"Shall I crack any of those old jokes, master, at which the audiencenever fails to laugh?" Like an up-to-date vaudevilleteam, Xanthias and Dionysus start off a dialogue that mingleswit and poetry with humor and keen satire.

Jan 19: Poe's THE POETIC PRINCIPLE

Poe on Poetry

Regarded in Europe as one of America' s greatest writers, Poeoriginated the detective story, perfected the mystery short story,and produced America's first great poems. Here he unravelsthe fabric of which all poetry is woven.

Jan 20: Keats' EVE OF ST. AGNES

"Ah! It Is St. Agnes' Eve"

At midnight on the eve of St. Agnes there were certain solemnceremonies which all virgins must perform to have "visions ofdelight and soft adorings from their loves." Porphyro took advantageof this custom to win his bride.

Jan 22: Corneille's POLYEUCTE

A King's Pleasure Now Yours

The classic plays of French literature are produced to-day preciselyas when they were given for the resplendent kings theywere written to please. We are fortunate to have in English,excellent translations of these noble plays.

Jan 23: Pascal's THE ART OF PERSUASION

Pascal Knew Men and Triangles

Pascal, the keen-minded philosopher and mathematician, fathomedthe human traits of man's nature with the same accuratemeasurements which made him famous in the realm of geometry.Read his searching analysis of man's conceit.

Jan 24: Homer's ODYSSEY

Odysseus Silenced the Sirens

When his ship approached the siren's rock, Odysseus stuffedthe ears of his crew with wax and had himself bound to the mastthat he might hear the alluring voice of the siren and yet notwreck his ship on the enchanted rock.

Jan 29: Darwin's VOYAGE OF THE BEAGLE

Visits the Land of Fire

South of Patagonia is Tierra del Fuego—"The Land of Fire."The natives of that primitive country are to-day almost extinct.Darwin made a careful and vitally interesting study of that landand its ill-fated inhabitants.

Jan 31: DON QUIXOTE

What "Don Quixote " Really Slew

Slayer of windmills, rescuer of fair damsels in distress, eccentricDon Quixote, scores of years behind his time, set out on a madquest of knight-errantry. Worlds of fun and killing satire arein this absorbing story of Cervantes.

Feb 6: Marlowe's EDWARD THE SECOND

Charles Lamb Suggests To-day's Reading

"The reluctant pangs of abdicating royalty in 'Edward' furnishedhints which Shakespeare scarcely improved in his 'Richardthe Second,' and the death scene of Marlowe's King moves to pityand terror."—CHARLES LAMB.

Feb 9: Tacitus ON GERMANY

Rest Between Wars

Tacitus, the historian, visited the virile German tribes in theirprimitive homes on the banks of the Rhine. He was surprisedto learn that the men so active and eager in war lolled in indolenceduring the intervals between.

Feb 12: LINCOLN'S WRITINGS

Oxford Corrects Lincoln's Mistake

Lincoln himself thought his famous Gettysburg Address was afailure. To-day the whole world acclaims its greatness. Castin bronze, it hangs on the wall of Balliol College, Oxford, regardedas the perfection of English prose.

Feb 13: CELLINI'S AUTOBIOGRAPHY

The Frank Story of an Amazing Life

At the age of fifty-eight Benvenuto Cellini shaved his headand retired to a monastery to write his own story of murder, passion,and great deeds of the Renaissance. His life is a vivid pictureof the most colorful period in history, a period when statecraftand religion and black magic and assassination were naivelymingled in men's lives.

Feb 14: Pascal's DISCOURSE ON THE PASSION OF LOVE

Love Always Young

Pascal—an original genius—purposed to master everything thatwas new in art and science. He was a mathematician and scientistas well as a religious enthusiast and moralist, and he shows adecidedly human side of his nature in this superb essay on Love.

Feb 15: Dryden's ALL FOR LOVE

The World Well Lost?

The romantic and heedless loves of Antony and Cleopatra figureprominently in history, literature, and drama. Dryden made afascinating play from the story of Antony, who sacrificed theleadership of Rome, reputation, and life itself for love of theEgyptian queen, who followed h im in death.

Feb 16: Darwin's ORIGIN OF SPECIES

Social Circles Among Ants

Ants have slaves who work for them. These slaves make thenests, feed the master ants, tend the eggs, and do the movingwhen a colony of ants migrate. Darwin minutely describes thehabits and lives of the industrious ants and their marvelous socialorganization—a wonder to mankind.

Feb 17: Moliere's TARTUFFE

Death His Curtain Call

While acting in one of his own plays, Moliere was suddenlystricken and died shortly after the final curtain. He took an importantrole in "Tartuffe" which introduces to literature a characteras famous as Shakespeare's Falstaff.

Feb 19: BUDDHIST WRITINGS

Earthly Experience of a Chinese Goddess

The thousandth celestial wife of the Garland God slipped andfell to earth, where she took mertal form and served as an attendantin a temple. Death finally released her and she wentback to heaven to tell her lord of the ways of men.

Feb 20: Voltaire's LETTERS ON THE ENGLISH

Voltaire Observes the Quakers

Because the early Quakers shook, trembled, and quaked whenthey became inspired—they received the title of "Quakers." Thissect attracted the keen-minded Voltaire, who made interestingnotes on them during his visit to England.

Feb 21: Newman's THE IDEA OF A UNIVERSITY

Does Football Make a College?

Just what makes a university? A group of fine buildings? Alibrary? A staff of well-trained teachers? A body of eager students?A winning football team? Cardinal Newman definesthe prime functions of a university.

Feb 25: THE SHORTEST WAY WITH DISSENTERS

Punished for Too Sharp a Wit

The brilliant wit and cutting satire of Defoe made for himfriends and enemies—but mostly enemies. So piercing and twoedgedwas "The Shortest-Way with Dissenters" that he wasfined, imprisoned and pilloried.

Mar 1: THE SPECTATOR CLUB

Invented Sir Roger de Coverly

Word pictures are often more vivid than photographs. Steelehad a gift for originating characters that are remembered longerthan flesh and blood people. Sir Roger de Coverly and WillHoneycomb are now bold figures in literature.

Mar 2: Dana's TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST

What Sailors Do on Sunday

"A sailor's liberty is but for a day," as Dana explains. Dressedin his Sunday best, the sailor feels like a dashing Beau Brummel;and sets out to enjoy his freedom. "While it lasts it is perfect.He is under no one's eye and can do whatever he pleases."

Mar 5: CELLINI'S AUTOBIOGRAPHY

Laughed at Locks

Prison walls were the least of Cellini's troubles. "Lock me wellup and watch me, for I shall certainly contrive to escape." Inspite of this warning, the utmost care of the jailers only furnishedamusement for the dauntless Cellini.

Mar 6: Poe's THE RAVEN

West Point's Outcast, America's First Great Poet

Edgar Allan Poe was expelled from West Point and disinherited.So poor was he that when his young wife lay dying, he couldnot afford a fire to warm her. The weirdness and despair of"The Raven" is particularly symbolic of his life.

Mar 9: TREATISE ON GOOD MANNERS

Common Sense and Good Manners

Swift regretted the laws against dueling because dueling at leastwas a good means of ridding the country of bores and fools.His keen eye penetrated social customs and saw the commonsense that governed good manners.

Mar 10: PHILASTER

Beaumont—The Adonis of Elizabethan Playwrights

In the days when contact with the theatre meant exile from thebest society, Beaumont and Fletcher, men from good families,dared to ally themselves with the stage as playwrights. "Philaster"won them immortal praise.

Mar 13: Manzoni's I PROMESSI SPOSI

Before Noblity Ran Tea Rooms

Manzoni has pictured in this thrilling romance of the seventeenthcentury nobility, the pompous and sporting life of those good olddays when nobles lived sumptuously in spacious castles surroundedby vast estates.

Mar 15: Plutarch's Caesar

Beware the Ides of March!

Twice warned of the danger that threatened him on the Idesof March, although "the earth rocked and the stars fell andheadless men walked in the Forum," Caesar goes to the doomawaiting him in the Senate Chamber.

Mar 17: THE POETRY OF THE CELTIC RACES

An Old Irish Legend

An old Irish legend tells how, while St. Patrick was preachingabout Paradise and Hell, several of his audience begged to beallowed to investigate the reality of these places. St. Patrickactually satisfied their curiosity.

Mar 22: Goethe's FAUST

From Puppet Show to Majestic Drama

The Faust legend, which can be traced to puppet shows of earlierdays, portrays a philosopher who, through Satan's aid and in returnfor the price of his soul, works magic at will. From thisrude framework Goethe has reared a drama of sublime grandeur.

Mar 23: THE THOUSAND AND ONE NIGHTS

First of a Thousand Harem Stories

Shahrazad, favorite of the treacherous Sultan's harem, selecteda most thrilling story for her bridal night. By leaving it unfinishedshe was privileged to live to continue it the next night—andso on for a thousand and one nights.

Mar 25: Shakespeare's HAMLET

How Conscience Makes Cowards of Us All

Hamlet pondered over which course contained the least unhappiness—whether to suffer here and not incur new dangers, orwhether to end it all and chance the unknown terrors of thenext world. See how Hamlet reasoned.

Mar 28: Adam Smith's WEALTH OF NATIONS

Pins and Other Points

The making of a simple pin is one of the most complex affairsof modern industry. Adam Smith regards the process from theworker's point of view, and shows the many and varied economicprinciples that are involved in pin making.

Mar 30: Manzoni's I PROMESSI SPOSI

The Plague of Milan

"I Promessi Sposi," a seventeenth century novel, vividly describesthe devastating plague of Milan. Then whole families sickenedin a few hours and died in less than a day's time of strange andviolent complaints whose symptoms were unknown to physicians.

Mar 31: Walton's LIFE OF DR. DONNE

The Ghastly Whim of John Donne

Monuments are usually made from death masks, but John Donnetook pleasure in posing for his, wrapped from head to foot in ashroud. Isaak Walton tells of this in his fascinating biographyof the eccentric poet.

Apr 2: Darwin's VOYAGE OF THE BEAGLE

A Spoon Dances in the Moonlight

A huge spoon dressed in human finery, placed on a grave, appearsto become convulsed when the moon's rays fall on it anddances to the tune of chanting natives. Weird sights, accordingto Darwin, abound in the South Seas.

Apr 8: Aeschylus' THE LIBATION BEARERS

Beware the Vengeful Hounds!

Orestes, holding an avenging sword over his mother, is told:"Beware thy mother's vengeful hounds." How he pays for disregardinghis mother's warning is told in this drama where amother is slain to avenge a father's ghost.

Apr 10: First Charter of Virginia

Americans—by Will of the King

Before English adventurers could attempt settlement in Americait was necessary first to get permission from the King . Thecharter of King James to the oldest American colony is an extremelyimportant historical document.

Apr 11: Goethe's FAUST

Danger in Being Young and Fair

The virgin beauty of Margaret enchanted Faust, who dazzledher with the brilliance of many gems. Margaret innocently tookhis gifts, believing that beauty should not "blush unseen"—butunmindful of consequences to follow.

Apr 13: CELLINI'S AUTOBIOGRAPHY

Michelangelo His Boon Companion

Kings, emperors, the greatest artists and sculptors of the Renaissanceat its most magnificent period, walk through the pages ofhis autobiography—not as cold, austere, historical character,but as the intimate friends of Cellini.

Apr 14: Biggs' DRAKE'S GREAT ARMADA

A Raid on Spanish Treasure in America

Spanish towns in the New World were rich in treasure and temptingbooty for English soldiers of fortune, who were venturesomeand merciless. "Ho! for the Spanish Main!" was the rallyingcry for all freebooters and buccaneers.

Apr 16: Dante's DIVINE COMEDY

Inside the Gates of Hell

The city of Dis, within the gates of Hell, was guarded by monstersand surrounded by a moat filled with the tormented. Dante,protected by Virgil, entered the forbidden city, and viewedsights never before seen by living man.

Apr 17: FRANKLIN'S AUTOBIOGRAPHY

Benjamin Franklin—Book Salesman

In 1731 there were not many books in America. Franklin sawthe need for more books and by house-to-house canvassing persuadedPhiladelphians to aid him in founding a public librarywhich to-day stands as a lasting memorial to Franklin.

Apr 18: Cervantes' DON QUIXOTE

Ready for Adventures and Conquests

Reading too many romances of knights and valorous deeds causeda poor Spanish gentleman to polish up his great-grandfather'sarmor, rechristen his old nag, and sally forth. "Don Quixote,"besides holding a secure niche in literature as the work thatquashed the romantic school of knight-errantry, is at the sametime one of the most widely-read stories in the world.

Apr 19: Emerson's CONCORD HYMN

Battle of Concord

Dr. Eliot says of the opening stanza of the "Concord Hymn":"In twenty-eight words here are the whole scene and all theessential circumstances . . . what an accurate, moving, immortaldescription is this!"

Apr 21: INTRODUCTION TO ENGLISH LITERATURE

Books as Windows to the Past

Through the pages of a book the reader sees the life of past days.Carnivals, processions, battles, coronations, voyages—the wholehistory of the world and its people is revealed in a stupendouspageant. Taine was a Frenchman who wrote an unsurpassedhistory of English literature; its introduction reveals the unusualcombination of an imaginative and an analytical style.

Apr 22: FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLES OF MORALS

Happiness as a Duty

Immanuel Kant, the most influential of German philosophers,taught that it was man's duty to be happy, for an unhappy manis tempted to sin. Seekers after happiness find aid and inspirationin Kant's writings.

Apr 23: Shakespeare's KING LEAR

"If You Have Poison for Me, I Will Drink It"

Shaken and disillusioned by the treachery of his elder daughter,King Lear suspected even the faithful Cordelia of evil designs.Her most tender efforts to comfort him failed to drive away theinsistent specter of his madness.

Apr 25: Tacitus' ON GERMANY

Mighty Rome Feared These Men

Men who danced among sharp swords—who gambled with theirlives—who took their women to the battlefields to encourage thebrave and shame the cowardly—these were the primitive Germanswho made Roman emperors tremble.

Apr 28: THE BOOK OF ECCLESIASTES

"Vanity of Vanities," Saith the Preacher

Three hundred years before Christ, a preacher in Jerusalem complainedthat there was no new thing under the sun. Everythingconsidered new had really existed in the time of the fathers.Sophisticated and modern is this writer of 2,300 years ago.

Apr 29: THE THOUSAND AND ONE NIGHTS

How I Got Rich — by Sindbad the Sailor

Sindbad, a poor man, recited woeful verses before the magnificentdwelling of Sindbad of the Sea. The great Sindbad, hearing him,invited the poor Sindbad to a feast and told the wonderful storyof his fabulous fortune.

Apr 30: Washington's FIRST INAUGURAL ADDRESS

Washington's Dictum on Private Life

Washington declared that the strength of the new nation lay inthe "pure and immutable principles of private morality." A freegovernment, fortified by the virtues and affection of its citizens,can command the respect of the world.

May 2: Faraday's MAGNETISM—ELECTRICITY

First Sparks of Electricity

Everything has to have a beginning, so too with the science ofelectricity. Here we learn the very rudiments, the inceptionsof science that have revolutionized the world. Faraday explainsin a simple way the truths of electricity.

May 4: SCIENCE AND CULTURE

A Champion of Science

When science was struggling for a place in popular education,Huxley distinguished himself as its champion. While the artswere to beautify life and increase pleasure, Huxley saw scienceas a means of benefiting man's prosperity.

May 6: CELLINI'S AUTOBIOGRAPHY

A Poor Artist Defies a Rich Duke

"Benvenuto, the figure cannot succeed in bronze," so spoke thepatron Duke. Cellini, stung to fury, passionately burst out:"You do not understand art." Feverishly he began the castingof the statue—but read his own account of the tilt with the Duke.

May 7: BROWNING'S POEMS

A Bishop Bargains

A haughty aristocrat, who murdered his wife for enjoying lifemore than he, now bargaining for a new bride; a crafty bishopbegging and bullying his heirs for a tomb richer than that ofhis rival; these are subjects of Browning's pen.

May 9: Schiller's ON AESTHETIC EDUCATION

Relation of Art to Freedom

Who has ever thought the arts had anything to do with freedom?Schiller did. Forced by a German noble to enter a militaryschool, he escaped. Struggling to achieve freedom, he wrotea series of letters on the relation of art to freedom.

May 10: Raleigh's DISCOVERY OF GUIANA

A Knight Among Cannibals

Savages who drink the powdered bones of their dead mixed withwine, Amazons who hold riotous festivals, the worship of goldenstatues, all the primitive wonders of Guiana are described bythe famous Elizabethan gallant, Sir Walter Raleigh.

May 12: ROSSETTI'S POEMS

His Wife's Golden Hair Enshrined His Poems

The manuscripts of many of the best poems of Rossetti wereburied with his wife. Friends prevailed upon him to allowthem to be exhumed—and these poems, once buried with thedead, are now a treasure of the living.

May 14: VACCINATION AGAINST SMALLPOX

Jenner's Amazing Smallpox Cure

Edward Jenner found that disease in the heel of a horse, transmittedthrough a cow to the dairy attendants, was an agent inmaking human beings immune from smallpox. His amazingexperiments inaugurated a new epoch.

May 16: THE POETRY OF THE CELTIC RACES

Favorite Superstitions of Celtic Imagination

Chessboards on which, of their own accord, black pieces playedagainst white; chariots that swiftly turned hither and yon withouta driver; pots in which a coward's meat would not cook—all these are woven into bewitching stories.

May 17: Plato's APOLOGY OF SOCRATES

An Honest Life's Reward

Condemned for impiety, Socrates felt so justified in the virtueof his past action that instead of receiving a death sentence, hetold the judges he should be maintained at public expense as apublic benefactor.

May 20: Shakespeare's SONNETS

Shakespeare's Finest Work

The most concentrated beauty of Shakespeare's unbounded creativegenius is found in his sonnets. Written as personal messagesto friends and not intended for publication, they reveal theinner Shakespeare more truly than do any of his great plays.

May 24: Adam Smith's WEALTH OF NATIONS

They Had No Money—Yet Bought and Sold

Debts were not always paid in money. Not so long ago thebutcher paid for his keg of beer with a slab of beef, and oxenwere exchanged for land and wives. Adam Smith tells the interestingstory of the origin and use of money.

May 25: Emerson's HEROISM

Do What You Fear

Emerson startled the world by fearlessly declaring his beliefs.Such apparent paradoxes as we find in his inspirational essay,"Heroism," makes him the most stimulating yet profound thinkerAmerica has produced.

May 26: Shakespeare's KING LEAR

Daughter Declares Her Love

Goneril and Regan falsely swore they loved their father, KingLear, more than life itself. Cordelia could find no words to expressher sincere devotion. Then King Lear made the decisionthat started a series of exciting events.

May 27: THE EDUCATION OF THE HUMAN RACE

Lessing's Courageous Stand for Toleration

To advance freedom of thought, Lessing published an essay ofone hundred paragraphs outlining the history of religion. Thewrath of orthodox churchmen was hurled at his head, and Lessingwas left alone to defend his daring theories.

May 31: Whitman's PREFACE TO LEAVES OF GRASS

America's Most Surprising Poet

Walt Whitman is the most original and startling of modern poets.An irony of his life is that while he wrote for the contemporarymasses, only a limited number of followers appreciated hisgenius, now universally recognized.

Jun 2: Rousseau's A SAVOYARD VICAR

"Back to Nature" in the Seventeenth Century

A "Back to Nature" movement in the seventeenth century washeaded by Rousseau, who believed that civilization was degrading.To save money for his work, he entrusted each of his childrento the tender mercies of a foundling house.

Jun 8: WOOLMAN'S JOURNAL

Eloquence Wins Over Prejudice

The plain, homely appearance of Woolman impressed unfavorablythe orthodox Quakers in London whom he was sent tomeet. They told him his coming was not necessary. ButWoolman spoke with such simplicity and sincerity that eventhose most opposed became his friends.

Jun 10: Sophocles' OEDIPUS, KING OF THEBES

Horrible Prophecy Fulfilled

King OEdipus of Thebes as a babe was abandoned on MountCithaeron to die. Years after he was thought dead he returnsto Thebes and unknowingly slays his father, marries his mother—and thus fulfills the word of the oracle.

Jun 12: THE BHAGAVAD-GITA

Vishnu Holds Up a Battle

"Two armies of ancient India were about to engage in a momentousbattle. Arjuna, heroic leader of the Pandu hosts, foreseeinggreat slaughter, hesitates. He implores the divine Vishnu tointervene. The conversation of the warrior and the god is agem of Hindu literature.

Jun 15: Froissart's WAT TYLER'S REBELLION

Strikers Storm the Tower of London

Led by Wat Tyler in 1381, great troops of villagers and rusticsmarched on London—laid siege to the Tower—sacked the apartmentsof the King and murdered his ministers. Froissart givesfirst-hand information of this rebellion.

Jun 16: Byron's MANFRED

Spirits at the Top of the World

The inaccessible mountain tops were ever venerated as the hauntsof all mysteries. Manfred, hero of Byron's play, seeks upon thehigh Alps the aid of spirits, specters, and goblins. What unearthlyadventures await him!

Jun 17: Eliot's BRIEF NARRATIVE

Risked His Scalp in Prayer

John Eliot put his life at the mercy of the redmen to get themto listen to his preachings. He wrote vividly about his settlementsof Christian Indians. Now villages and Indians have disappeared.Only his story remains.

Jun 19: Holinshed's OUR ENGLISH DOGS

Freaks of the Dog Fad in England

A writer of Elizabethan times said that no other country had asmany dogs as England. Once Henry VII ordered all mastiffsto be hung because they "durst presume to fight against thelion," England's regal beast.

Jun 21: Ruskin's SESAME

Would You Converse with Royalty?

Why gossip with lesser persons when you might be talking toqueens and kings? Just how we may get to talk to queensand kings, Ruskin delightfully points out and escorts us to thevery doors of the audience chamber.

Jun 22: Pliny's LETTERS

Pliny Tells Ghost Stories

Pliny, who lived in the first century after Christ, tells of a ghostwho dragged his jangling chains through a house in Athens andso terrified the inmates that they fled panic-stricken. But theghost met his equal.

Jun 23: Mill's AUTOBIOGRAPHY

Greek Scholar at Three

John Stuart Mill—one of the greatest intellects in England—tellshow his father educated him. At the early age of three yearshe began the study of Greek, and at twelve started writing abook of his own .

Jun 24: THE THOUSAND AND ONE NIGHTS

Had No Right Hand

A handsome young man was seen to eat only with his left hand,which was contrary to the customs of Arabia. The youth, whenurged, told why he used only his left hand, and revealed astory of love and adventure and the lover's need for gold—allhappening in ancient Cairo.

Jun 25: HERRICK'S POEMS

Advice to Virgins from a Wise Man

"Gather ye rosebuds while ye may, Old Time is still a-flying;And this same flower that smiles today, to-morrow will bedying? "Herrick was only a humble country minister with awealth of wisdom and a keen appreciation of life, which heexpressed in lyrics of wonderful beauty and melody.

Jun 26: BEOWULF

In the Lair of the Green-Eyed Monster

At the bottom of the ocean was the home of the monster whohad desolated the king's halls. Beowulf, bravest of warriors,descended beneath the waves to fight the beast. The king'smen, waiting above, saw the waves become colored with blood.Hero or monster—who had won?

Jun 27: BACON'S ESSAYS

Do You Take Poison Daily?

There is a human trait most poisonous to a man's blood. Manseeks to avoid it because he knows that it lies like a curse uponhim. Just what is the poisonous human failing? Who are mostsubject to it? Bacon tells you in one of his best essays.

Jun 28: Darwin's VOYAGE OF THE BEAGLE

Pages from the Pampas Book of Etiquette

A very definite etiquette is followed by a stranger on the vastplains of South America. "Ave Maria" is the common salutation.If the stranger is on horseback, he does not alight untilinvited to do so by his host. Once in the house, the stranger mustconverse a while before asking shelter for the night.

Jun 29: Shakespeare's MACBETH

"Is That a Dagger I See Before Me?"

Macbeth, spurred on by the ambitious and crafty Lady Macbeth,committed murder to secure the crown of Scotland. But hepaid dearly for his gain. Ghostly guests appeared at his banquetand threatened him with dire threats.

Jun 30: Mill's ON LIBERTY

Rather King Than Majority

"Democracy" has not always been the choice of oppressed people.The tyranny of the majority is a recognized evil as harmful as themisrule of a king. And rather than exchange a lesser evil for agreater, a rule by king has often been preferred to a republic.

Jul 5: THE THOUSAND AND ONE NIGHTS

A Tailor Entertains a King

Here is another of those fanciful Oriental stories that proclaimsthe democracy of Eastern despotism. A tailor might talk with aking and receive either a death sentence or the office of GrandVizier as a reward.

Jul 7: Sheridan's SCHOOL FOR SCANDAL

Scandal That Lurked Behind Lace and Powder

The painted lips of the eighteenth century ladies and gallantsvied with one another in whispering scathing gossip, in gleefullyfurthering the destruction of a good name. Sheridan depictsthis gay world with a brilliant spicy pen.

Jul 9: BACON'S ESSAYS

A Little Lying Now and Then

"What is Truth?" asked Pilate. For an answer Bacon discoursesnot on human nature as it should be, but as it is. These shrewdobservations on making a life and a living admit occasional departuresfrom truth.

Jul 10: THE VOYAGES TO VINLAND

America's First Immigrants

The shadow of a phantom cast upon the cradle of Snorri, thefirst white child born in America, was a warning of an Indianattack on the settlement of courageous Norsemen who hadrisked the terrors of unknown seas to visit "Wineland."

Jul 12: Thoreau's WALKING

But He Walked!

Thoreau's individuality was unique and original. He had noprofession; he never married; he never went to church; he nevervoted or paid taxes; he never smoked; he never drank wine. Hisamusement was walking, to observe and meditate.

Jul 18: Browning's BLOT IN THE 'SCUTCHEON

They Loved in Vain

"Browning's play has thrown me into a perfect passion of sorrow,"wrote Charles Dickens of "The Blot in the 'Scutcheon."Like Shakespeare's Juliet, Browning's Mildred plays the role ofa youthful lover in a tragic drama.

Jul 19: Raleigh's DISCOVERY OF GUIANA

She Wanted Heroes All to Herself

The famous gallant who spread his gorgeous cloak so the daintyslipper of his queen would be unspotted, soon lost the high favorthis action won for him. In spite of his glorious voyages, Raleighcondemned himself when he fell in love with another woman.

Jul 22: Homer's ODYSSEY

Trapped in a Cave with a Frenzied Giant

Odysseus was wrecked with his men on an island inhabitedby one-eyed giants. Trapped in the cave of a giant who gobbledup some of the crew for supper, the cunning Odysseus blindedthe giant and rescued the survivors of his crew.

Jul 24: Darwin's THE VOYAGE OF THE BEAGLE

Indian Sorcery Blamed for an Earthquake

Darwin visited a South American city ruined by an earthquake.There he heard the superstitious account of the phenomenon.The ignorant people accused Indian women of bewitching thevolcano. But Darwin has another explanation.

Jul 26: Thomas a Kempis

Peace Amid Strife

While Europe was shaken with wars, Thomas a Kempis livedin happy seclusion in his convent. His writings convincinglyreflect the serenity and happiness of a man who has found peace—a peace that surpasses all understanding.

Jul 27: ON THE ANTISEPTIC PRINCIPLES

Once Surgeons Operated in Frock Coats

The use of antiseptics in surgery is new. Hardly more than ahalf century ago surgeons operated in frock coats. Lord Lister,surgeon to Queen Victoria, was among the first to advocatescrupulous cleanliness in dressing wounds.

Jul 30: Gilbert's VOYAGE TO NEWFOUNDLAND

The First English Colony in North America

When the whole coast of America north of Florida was free tothe first comer, Sir Humphrey Gilbert naively chose to settleon the rugged shores of Newfoundland. Read the glowing accountof his great adventure "to plant Christian inhabitants inplaces convenient."

Aug 5: Burns' COTTERS' SATURDAY NIGHT

Joys of the Simple Life

"Cotter's Saturday Night" for generations to come will remainthe choicest picture of Scotch home life. Into this poem Burnsinstills the sense of all-pervading peace and happiness that comesat the end of a well-spent day.

Aug 6: Tennyson's LOCKSLEY HALL

A Prophet of Aerial Warfare

"For I dipt into the future—saw the nation's airy navies grapplingin the central blue." We are amazed at the accuracy ofTennyson's prediction. But he also foretells "the federation ofthe world"—yet to be fulfilled.

Aug 7: Plato's PHAEDO

The Last Golden Words of Socrates

The death sentence of Socrates could not be executed until thereturn of the sacred ship from Delos. One day his friends learnedthat the ship had returned. They hastened to the prison to listento the last words of Athens' sage.

Aug 8: Homer's ODYSSEY

Men Transformed by Circe's Wand

Unfavorable winds sent by angry gods blew the ships of Odysseusfar off their course. The sailors were cast upon a remote island,governed by an enchantress where, for their coarse manners, theywere put under a magic spell.

Aug 14: Dana's TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST

A College Boy Goes to Sea

Leaving Harvard on account of ill health, Dana sought adventureand thrilling experience aboard a sailing vessel that roundedCape Horn. He turned the dangers, hardships, and keen joysof a sailor's life into a fascinating story.

Aug 16: THE PSALMS

Inspiring Ritual of Temple Worship

David—the psalm singer—knew the wondrous ways of the Lordand praised H im in his psalms. Burdened souls in all ages havefound comfort in these songs that once were used in the gorgeousritual of Jerusalem's temple.

Aug 17: Luther's ADDRESS TO THE NOBILITY

Three Walls Luther Saw

Luther declared that the unreformed church had drawn its doctrineslike three walls so closely about the people that they servednot as protection but were the cause of untold misery and distress.This he hoped to relieve by the Reformation.

Aug 19: Pare's JOURNEYS IN DIVERSE PLACES

Roses Boiled in Wine

Astonishing treatments and cures are related by Ambroise Pare,famed surgeon of the fifteenth century. One remedy, for instance,used to cure a distinguished nobleman, was red rosesboiled in white wine,—and it was effective.

Aug 21: CONFESSIONS OF ST. AUGUSTINE

Hidden Treasures in an Old Book

A certain man was willed a Bible. He scorned the legacy untilone day, penniless and downcast, he turned to the book for consolation.Imagine his amazement on finding hundred dollarbills between the pages. St. Augustine explains how he foundeven greater treasures in the Bible.

Aug 24: Pliny's LETTERS

Survivor's Story of Vesuvius

The eruption of Vesuvius that demolished Pompeii and buriedthousands of people was witnessed by Pliny. He describes hispanic-stricken flight with his mother from the doomed villathrough falling ashes and sulphurous fumes. His famous uncle,the elder Pliny, lost his life while investigating the eruption andaiding refugees.

Aug 25: Kelvin's TIDES

Britain Saved by a Full Moon

We to-day know that there is a direct relation between the moonand tides. When Julius Caesar went to conquer Britain his transportswere wrecked because he did not know the tides on theEnglish coast; a knowledge of which might have changed thewhole course of history.

Aug 26: FROISSART'S CHRONICLES

The Prince of Wales Wins His Spurs

A brilliant victory for the English king was gained in this battle,a fight in which vast numbers of French nobility, many princes,and the aged King John of Bohemia were slain. Froissart describesall in detail.

Aug 27: Burns' POEMS AND SONGS

Priceless Treasures of Memory

"A man's a man for a' that." "Should auld acquaintance be forgot.""To see her is to love her and love but her forever." "Flowgently, sweet Afton." Every stanza of Burns is treasured. Howmany have you stored up?

Aug 28: Goethe's FAUST

The World's Love Tragedy

"Almighty God, I am undone." With this cry of despair, Margaretwitnessed the fiendish work of Faust, her lover, who barteredhis immortal soul for worldly pleasure. A thrilling drama, basedon a famous medieval legend.

Aug 29: Plutarch's ANTONY

Cleopatra Bewitches Mark Antony

Cleopatra rode to meet Antony in a gilded barge with sails ofpurple; oars of silver beat time to the music of flutes and fifesand harps. She went as Venus, and her attendants were dressedas Cupids and Nymphs.

Sep 2: Dryden's ALL FOR LOVE

Too Great a Price for Love

While his soldiers fought the battle of Actium, Antony fled tothe arms of Cleopatra. By his flight he forfeited his right to anempire. Dryden's story of Antony's love makes us realize thefolly of his infatuation for the Nile siren.

Sep 5: Darwin's ORIGIN OF SPECIES

Survival of the Fittest

Just as the individual has a definite length of life, so have speciesa limited duration. The progress and transition of the world,Darwin declares, will see the extinction of certain variants ofhuman life.

Sep 6: Carlyle's SIR WALTER SCOTT

The Pride of All Scotchmen

Many sons of Scotland have striven eagerly for the great placeheld by Sir Walter Scott. Carlyle describes the qualities that combinedto make him the idol of his people and the master of historicalromance.

Sep 8: Helmholtz's ICE AND GLACIERS

When Europe Lay Under Ice

There was a time when the snow fell and did not melt in summer.Then from the frozen north there descended huge massesof ice that covered northern Europe and most of North America.Glaciers reveal a new world to us.

Sep 10: Holmes' POEMS

Famous Poet-Physician

One of America's famous New Englanders, Oliver WendellHolmes, devoted his life principally to medicine. His name,however, was made famous through his poem, "Old Ironsides,"by which he saved America's most famous battleship from destructionwhen her fighting days were ended.

Sep 12: SONNETS FROM THE PORTUGUESE

Love Letters of Elizabeth Browning

In all literary history there is no happier love story than that ofElizabeth Barrett and Robert Browning. During their secretcourtship Miss Barrett sent Browning many beautiful love letterswritten in verse.

Sep 13: Bunyan's PILGRIM'S PROGRESS

Good That Came from a Game Pit

From cockfighting, bear baiting, and like sports, the wife of JohnBunyan converted him to a life of humility and reverence. Whileimprisoned for preaching, he used his idle time in writing a fantasticstory of a soul's salvation—probably the most famous allegoryever written.

Sep 15: Washington's FAREWELL ADDRESS

Refused to Serve Three Terms

George Washington retired to private life in 1796, entrusting"the preservation of the Union" to the "love of liberty." Hislast appeal is a vital message to American citizens, as pertinenttoday as when he penned it.

Sep 16: HOLINSHED'S CHRONICLES

Penalty for Silence

"Such felons as stand mute [do not confess] are pressed to deathby huge weights laid upon a board that lieth over their breastand a sharp stone under their backs." Old English punishments,recorded by Holinshed, make startling reading.

Sep 19: Cervantes' DON QUIXOTE

Humor That Survived Slavery

Held as a Moorish slave for five years, Cervantes was submittedto almost daily tortures. But even the horrors of slavery couldnot dull his sense of humor, as evinced by his most witty andamusing novel.

Sep 21: Virgil's AENEID

Aeneas and the Old Witch

The Sybil, an old witch, personally conducts Aeneas through thegate and into the jaws of hell, where terrors abound on everyhand and frightful mysterious forms rule. There he is told ofthe greatness and glory that was to come.

Sep 24: Plutarch's THEMISTOCLES

Citizens Lured from Their Homes

When the serpent of Minerva disappeared from her temple, thepriests said that the goddess had left Athens for the sea. Moreover,the oracles urged the Athenians to seek safety in their ships.Themistocles prompted these deceits. Why?

Sep 25: Mill's AUTOBIOGRAPHY

A Courtship of Twenty Years

John Stuart Mill in his autobiography boldly tells of his love forhis friend's wife. After twenty years, she was freed from her firsthusband and was happily married to John Stuart Mill. Read theaccount of Mill's courtship.

Sep 26: Cervantes' DON QUIXOTE

And the World Rocked with Laughter

The gaunt lunatic, Don Quixote, saw the world through glassescolored with romanticism that had gone out of style hundreds ofyears before he was born. Cervantes made the world laugh atthe exaggerated stories it had been devouring.

Sep 29: SAYINGS OF CONFUCIUS

Prophet of 400 Million People

Confucius was a Chinese magistrate in 500 B.C. He lost the favorof the Emperor and wandered from city to city, teaching and givingcounsel. After his death, Emperor and people alike bowedbefore his shrine.

Sep 30: Emerson's MANNERS

A Gentleman According to Emerson

An etiquette book and a good tailor do not always produce agentleman—neither does the Social Register include only gentlemen.Emerson by quaint stories tells how fashion and mannerscombine to make that rare product—a gentleman.

Oct 1: Machiavelli's THE PRINCE

Princes To-day and Yesterday

To-day the chief duty of a prince is to be the nation's friendmaker. Years ago princes desired supreme power and, by fairmeans or foul, strove for control. Machiavelli was a guide forsuch ambitious princes.

Oct 3: CHAUCER'S POEMS

Good Enough for Chaucer

When polite English society conversed in French—consideringEnglish a vulgar tongue, fit only for servants and working people—Chaucer, nevertheless, wrote poems in this "vulgar" English,which charm us because of their quaint words.

Oct 4: Plutarch's DEMOSTHENES

His Mouth Full of Pebbles

The man who put pebbles in his mouth and orated to the sea,shaved one-half of his head so that he would be obliged to stayat home until he had perfected his oratory—a strange method ofattaining eminence, but a successful one.

Oct 5: Newman's UNIVERSITY LIFE AT ATHENS

Amateur Athlete in Old Athens

A boxer in public games desired to study philosophy at Athens.There were no furnaces to tend, no tables to wait on, no booksor magazines to peddle, yet this sturdy young Greek managedto work his way through college.

Oct 11: Virgil's AENEID

Aeneas Flees from an Inconsolable Love

Aeneas, mythological founder of the Roman race, leaving Carthageand its lovely Queen Dido, was driven by a storm to thecoast of Sicily. There the hospitality of King Acestes helpedhim to forget his relinquished love.

Oct 12: LETTER OF COLUMBUS

Columbus' Letter Miraculously Found

Historical documents, now priceless, were often used as wrappingpaper. Rescued by chance was a letter of Columbus telling ofhis voyages—of the amazing bargains made with timid natives—of Amazon women who fought like men and made marriagetreaties with cannibals.

Oct 14: Adam Smith's WEALTH OF NATIONS

No Spice and Little Gold

All colonies are founded to gain territory or treasure. Spainexpected spice and gold from Columbus's expedition, but got nospice and little gold. Adam Smith tells the true motive of thecolonizing Greeks, Romans, English, and Spaniards.

Oct 18: SHELLEY'S POEMS

"If Winter Comes"

From the title of a recently popular novel, we know that oneprominent fiction writer of to-day was inspired by the verses ofShelley. Many others have also felt the stirring vigor of his poetry.What is your reaction?

Oct 19: Hunt's ESSAYS

Virtue in Smiles

Weep if you must. It is far better than to repress your tears.But Leigh Hunt finds greater virtue in cheerfulness. Fancifuland graceful—his writings exerted a wholesome influence on allnineteenth century journalism.

Oct 21: Cicero's ON OLD AGE

No Fault to Find with Old Age

Cicero agrees with Browning that old age is the golden time oflife, when the fruits of a well-spent life are harvested. Cicero,the wise Roman, welcomed old age for its gifts: wisdom, soundjudgment, and contentment.

Oct 23: Plutarch's CAESAR

When Caesar Turned the Tables

When only a boy, Caesar was captured by pirates. While awaitingransom he entered into every sport and game with them. Oncefreed, he quickly returned with forces that captured the outlaws.Then he took deliberate revenge.

Oct 24: Aeschylus' AGAMEMNON

Clytemnestra Meets Her Rival

Cassandra knew through a prophetic vision that a sword wouldpierce her heart. Agamemnon, her captor, took her to his homewhere an avenging wife, Clytemnestra, awaited. The tragediesof the doom that requited the sins of the House of Atreus areamong the most powerful ever written.

Oct 25: Macaulay's MACHIAVELLI

Greatly Encouraged Intrigue

After the publication of Machiavelli's " The Prince," the Sultansbecame more addicted to strangling their brothers, tyrants becamemore merciless, and murderous plots increased. Theinfluence of that book, as Macaulay points out, spread over Europeand Asia.

Oct 26: Franklin's AUTOBIOGRAPHY

Franklin Learned the Secret

Poor at twenty, rich at forty, internationally famous at fifty. BenjaminFranklin once walked the streets of Philadelphia alone,poor, and with no education. Yet he rose to be a leader becausehe learned the secret of careful reading.

Oct 27: BUDDHIST WRITINGS

Fruit of Seven Years' Silence

Siddhartha Gautama, who became the god Buddha, renouncedthe world and spent seven years in meditation. Then one day,while sitting under a fig tree, he became inspired with exaltedand sublime conceptions of life and death. The rest of his lifewas spent in teaching and converting mankind.

Oct 28: SOME THOUGHTS CONCERNING EDUCATION

How Dice Taught Spelling

Locke taught children by means of games. He tells of a gamewhereby children were taught to spell with dice on which theletters of the alphabet were pasted. This was more than 200 yearsbefore modern kindergarten methods. Today's children wouldrespond to such wise direction as Locke recommends.

Oct 29: KEATS' POEMS

Genius Rises from a Stable

Though the son of a stable man, John Keats wrote the most exquisiteand sublime poetry in our language. He was the friendof Shelley, Lord Byron, and the other literary leaders of the time—his genius recognized by all.

Oct 31: BURNS' POEMS

Witches Walk To-night

Beware of magic! Once a year uneasy spirits are released andwalk the earth from midnight until dawn. Spooks and goblinsinvade the most secure homes and the canniest must watch outfor danger lurking in every dark corner.

Nov 1: Shakespeare's THE TEMPEST

Last Strokes of Shakespeare's Pen

Monsters of the earth, weird creatures of the air, magic romance,and shipwreck are mingled by a master hand in his thrillingdrama. The fanciful, enchanting "Tempest" is the last workof the great bard of Stratford.

Nov 5: Roper's LIFE OF SIR THOMAS MORE

Costly Opinion on Divorce

A divorce always means trouble for some one. So with SirThomas More when he refused to agree with King Henry overthe king's separation. More was made to pay one of the highestprices ever paid for a difference of opinion.

Nov 7: THE THOUSAND AND ONE NIGHTS

The Voice from a Stone-Dead City

Suddenly all the sinful city's inhabitants were turned to stone.When a beautiful woman from Bagdad came to the dead city,night overtook her there. Sleeping in the palace, she was awakenedby a man's voice calling.

Nov 17: Carlyle's SIR WALTER SCOTT

At Thirty Scott Began to Write

Are you curious about famous people, their lives, habits, personalities?Carlyle discusses the intimate life of his illustrious countryman,and reveals Scott, the man, and Scott, the genius whoentertained Christendom with his stories.

Nov 18: Schiller's WILHELM TELL

Apple or Son the Arrow's Mark

The arrow shot from his bow with a twang and whizzed throughthe air. Tell covered his eyes, fearing to see where the arrow hit.Then the shout of triumph, a shout of the people and not of thetyrant—but the end was not yet.

Nov 20: GRIMM'S FAIRY TALES

Old Stories Ever New

When the cold winds howled about the thatched huts of theGerman peasant, the mother drew her children to her side andtold them stories. Collected and retold by the Grimm brothers,these stories have perennial charm.

Nov 22: Virgil's AENEID

Nov 23: PASCAL'S THOUGHTS

Less Than Star Dust

According to Pascal, a man is not even as significant as a speckof star dust in the universe. Pascal's thoughts on the subject arestartling to the modern reader, and they furnish rich food forthe imagination.

Nov 24: Darwin's ORIGIN OF SPECIES

The Book that Upset Tennessee

The signal for the beginning of a great controversy, still raging,was the publication of Darwin's "Origin of Species." This wasthe first complete statement of the evolution theory, which hadbeen privately advanced but never publicly taught. A new epochin science dates from this great work.

Nov 25: Dekker's THE SHOEMAKER'S HOLIDAY

Cupid as a Shoemaker

We are indebted to Thomas Dekker for one of the most humorouscharacters in all Elizabethan literature; namely, Simon Eyre, anold shoemaker whose affairs became hilariously involved withthose of the gentry.

Nov 26: Lamb ON THE TRAGEDIES OF SHAKESPEARE

Shakespeare Should Be Heard

Charles Lamb, favorite essayist, thought that no stage could dojustice to Shakespeare's tragedies. He advocated reading theplays, and with the imagination costuming the players and buildingthe gorgeous scenery in a way equaled by no scene painteror costumer.

Nov 27: Sir Thomas More's UTOPIA

What Land is This?

In wondrous Utopia pearls and precious stones were used asplaythings for little children. Gold rings and bracelets were onlyworn by outcasts, while great golden chains shackled criminalsand felons. When ambassadors from foreign lands came in fineraiment, the Utopians treated the plainest dressed as the greatest;the others seemed to them like children.

Nov 28: BLAKE'S POEMS

Poems Made from Visions

"To see a world in a grain of sand, and a heaven in a wild flower—"Such was the exaltation of the mysticism of William Blake, whoreflected in his poetry the ecstasy of his visions. Simplicity is thekeynote of his genius.

Nov 29: Hume's OF THE ORIGIN OF IDEAS

How Ideas Originate

Did you ever stop to think just how you thought? What inneremotions, what outer influences make up the fathomless depthsof mind and intellect? Hume explains how we draw ourthoughts, then clumsily put them into tangible shape called ideas.

Nov 30: Swift's ESSAY ON CONVERSATION

"Don'ts" for Conversation

To harp on one's illnesses, giving all the symptoms and circumstances,has been a blemish on conversation for ages. Twohundred years ago Swift complained of persons who continuallytalked about themselves.

Dec 3: THE BIRTH OF THE BUDDHA

Met the Gods of Ten Thousand Worlds

After three awesome messengers have issued three warnings, thegods of ten thousand worlds decide who is to be the new Buddha.Then the parents, the conception, the birth of the god-child demandconstant vigilance.

Dec 8: LEVANA AND OUR LADIES OF SORROW

Dream Women Shaped His Destiny

De Quincy imagined that three women were sent to him so thathe might know the depths of his soul. Real women could nothave wielded greater influence. It is fortunate that everyone doesnot meet these weird women.

Dec 9: THE FUGITIVE SLAVE ACT

Slavery's Last Stand

By the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 stringent laws were made toprevent assistance being given to any slaves attempting to escape.The antislavery answer to these laws was a perfection of the"Underground Railroad."

Dec 10: CELLINI'S AUTOBIOGRAPHY

Benvenuto Boasts of Gallantry

Taking offense at a soldier who made advances toward hisfavorite lady, Cellini jumped from the window, knife in hand,to avenge himself. This incident was recorded with characteristicconceit by Cellini in his amazing diary.

Dec 11: Plutarch's ALCIBIADES

The Most Dashing Figure in Athens

The handsome Alcibiades, cunning in politics, bold in war, wasthe lion of Athenian society until he violated the secrets of amysterious religious cult. Then all outraged Athens united todash their idol to the ground.

Dec 12: BROWNING'S POEMS

How the Glorious News was Carried to Aix

Three brave men began the heroic ride from Ghent to Aix. Onlyone man arrived to tell the thrilling story of the tempestuousride. In one of his most bewitching poems, in lines that hauntthe memory, Browning retells the story.

Dec 14: MARVELL'S POEMS

Pastoral Poems and Politics

The many-sided Marvell, who wielded a pen that was bothfeared and courted, is seen at his best in stirring verse. "AGarden," "Prospect of Flowers," with the "Horatian Ode uponCromwell," show the power of his genius.

Dec 19: Milton's SAMSON AGONISTES

Samson Finds a Champion

The mighty Samson was blinded while a captive of thePhilistines. He sought revenge—a revenge devastating and cosdy.Milton, himself a giant of intellect, blind and imprisoned, wroteof this sightless giant of other days.

Dec 20: Herodotus' AN ACCOUNT OF EGYPT

Egypt Visited by the First Reporter

All phases of life were pictured by Herodotus in his history.Like a modern newspaper reporter, he combines weird stories,scandals, and battle accounts with descriptions of places, persons,and sights about town.

Dec 25: GOSPEL OF ST. LUKE

The Christmas Story

Luke was a Greek physician, a man of culture, trained in thebest universities of the ancient world. He became imbued withthe spirit of Christ, and wrote the most beautiful story of thebirth and life of Jesus.

Dec 29: Homer's ODYSSEY

These Guests Outstayed Their Welcome

After twenty years' absence, Odysseus returned home to find hishouse filled with strangers rioting and wasting his treasure.Crafty Odysseus, with the aid of his son and the gods, devised abold plan to rid his home of the unwelcome guests.

Dec 30: Dana's TWO YEARS BEFORE THE MAST

Dana Meets a Tattooed Sailor

Dana's description of the picturesque, pre-gold-rush Californiais unique. While he was on the Pacific coast he met a Britishsailor who was elaborately tattooed and of an unforgetable appearanceand personality.

Dec 31: Carlyle's INAUGURAL ADDRESS

Curiosity and Interest as Guides to Reading

The most unhappy man, Carlyle says, is the man who has noreal work—no interest in life. To avoid this miserable state, headvises faithful and diligent reading along the lines dictated bycuriosity and interest.